A blog dedicated to chronicling the history of SC Green White, a soccer club founded in Chicago in 1956.

Friday, June 29, 2012

1965

In the February 1965 Green White newsletter, a prize of $5 ($5!) was offered to whoever came up with the best name for the newsletter. No word on whether or not that prize money was ever claimed.

On the field, Green White had another successful season. After a dramatic final game loss to end the 1964 season in 2nd place, Green White once again ended the season in second place of the First Division in 1965, behind only the Norwegian Americans. Finishing one point out of first place was a dramatic disappointment.

The highlight of the indoor season was undoubtedly the 2-0 loss to Hansa. Even though Green White lost the game, Hansa fielded a lineup that included the striker of the U.S. National Team, Willi Roy. In this game, according to the completely unbiased on-the-scene report from Green White’s Willi Franz, Stefan Laxgang completely shut down Roy, and was easily the player of the game.

This was really a David vs. Goliath effort. FC Hansa finished in second place in the US Open Cup (Pokal) in 1965, a great accomplishment for a local team.

Hansa won the Major Division championship in 1965 too.

Green White also welcomed another great new player to their team. He eventually became one of the most decorated players in club history, but his arrival was pure happenstance.

Adam Harjung remembers: “Johnny Woolfe read in the paper that our team could use some help, so he called George Kaempf, and said ‘I’m looking for a club.’ George invited him to practice, and wow, were we lucky to get that phone call.”

The club recognized his abilities, but his beginning was a little rough.

“In his third game Johnny Woolfe broke his elbow," Klaus Kilian remembers, "and he didn’t have any insurance, so we held a fund raiser for him. Everybody was contributing, and everybody was drinking too. Johnny Woolfe woke up in the bathroom with his head in the toilet, but we did raise a lot of money for him to take care of his elbow. He turned out to be a super club member.”

The Sepp Herberger Committee

The first annual Sport, Funk, und Presse Ball (Sport, Radio & Press ball) was held on September 28, 1965. It was put together by a committee of local German soccer officials from the various different German clubs. They named their committee after the beloved former coach of the German national team, Sepp Herberger. Herberger had been the coach of the 1954 team that won the World Cup.

The aging Herberger even sent a message to his fans in Chicago, and that was published in the official program book. He wished the best of luck to the player and team of the year, each of which would be given the trophy bearing his name.

The player was Adolf Bachmeier of the Kickers, and the team was FC Hansa.

Green White Off the Field

The Masquerade Ball was held on January 23, 1965 in the home of the Donauschwaben on Elston Avenue. The first prize went to an intruder from the Elmhurst Men’s Choir, who dressed up as a robot. Second prize went to the bunnies (Walter Melcher and Ms. Zimmer), and third prize went to the couple that dressed up as the Addam’s Family—Horst and Herta Melcher.

From this point on, Green White's social calendar was always full because the Green White Ladies Club was officially formed in February 1965, and a board was named to run it. The first president was Herta Melcher, the VP was Helen Hertl, Hilde Kilian was the secretary, the treasurers were Anna Bittenbinder and Maria Zimmer, and the recording secretary was Annemarie Harjung.

In the newsletter Willi Franz noted that it took the men more than two hours to elect a board, and the women accomplished it in about five minutes. Lore Willer, Hilde Kaempfer, Hedy Klaus, and Trudy Stadler were the other members.

Green White Babies

*The Hertl's welcomed another girl, Debbie.

*Another year, another Richard. This time it was Richard Stadler.

*The Kirschner family welcomed a son; Harold.

*He wasn't part of the club at the time, and he wasn't even in Illinois, but a California boy named Anthony Todd Schneider was also born in 1965.

~The University of Illinois opened it's circle campus on the west side.

~The Beatles returned in 1965 to play at Sox Park, their only outdoor gig in Chicago.

Coming next month, 1966: Green White celebrates it's 10th anniversary, Martin Luther King comes to Chicago, and the World Cup comes to England.

As always, if you have any thing to add or correct in this month’s installment, please drop me a line at amishrick@yahoo.com. I consider this a group project, and a work in progress, so we can add and subtract until we get it all exactly correct. If you have photos you’d like to contribute, please do.

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Mission Statement

Each month we will present a year in Green White history, and we're counting on fellow members from the past and present to help make sure we get the story correct. When we reach current day we intend on publishing this material in book form.

Contact Me

If you have an addition, correction, or picture e-mail me at amishrick@yahoo.com